Curve for double-rope tramways.



S. A. COONEY.

CURVE FOR DOUBLE ROPE TRAMWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 14, 1909.

972,509. Patented Oct. 11,1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

7 v I 2 Q 1 S. A. COONBY. CURVE FOR DOUBLE-ROPE TEAMWAYS.

APPLICATION rum) 00114, 1909.

Patented Oct. 11,1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

S. A. GOONEY.

CURVE FOR DOUBLE ROPE TRAMWAYS.

APPLICATION rum) 001214. 1909.

Patented Oct. 11,1910.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

S. A. GOONEY. CURVE FOR DOUBLE ROPE TRAMWAYS. APPLIOATION EIL'ED 00w. 14, 1909.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

attumwa v S. A. GOONEY. GURYE POR DOUBLE ROPE TRAMWAYS. APPLICATION FILED 001'. 14, 1909.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

5 SHEETS-$115111: 54

tain details of SEIBERN A. COONEY, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSE ROEBLINGS SONS 00., OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY,

CURVE FOR DOUBLE-ROPE TRAMWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed October 14, 1909.

Serial No. 522,661.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEBERN A. CooNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Curve for Double-Rope Tramways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in double rope tramways and while the present invention is directed more particularly to an intermediate or curve station in the system whereby the line of travel may be diverted from a direct line, the improvement forming the subject matter of the present invention is designed to be used in a tramway system having a receiving or loading and a dumping or unloading station distant one from the other and connected by aerial cable tracks along which suitable buckets or containers are caused to move from the loading station to the dumping station and from thence return to the loading station by means of an endless power cable to which the buckets are gripped at the loading station and remain in such relation to the power cable until they again re turn to the loading station. The details of the loading and dumping stations as well as those of the buckets do not, aside from certhe buckets, enter into the present invention, and therefore have been omitted from the drawings and will not be referred to in the description.

In the general system there is provided a loading station with outgoing and return cable tracks and a dumping station with a like arrangement of tracks and at one station there is located a driving means for an endless power cable moving along the cable tracks above the same. here the loading and unloading or dumping stations may be placed in a direct line one with the other then the structure of the present invention is unnecessary, but under some conditions the system cannot be installed in a direct line from the loading point to the desired dumping point and then unless a diverting or curve station is provided, two or more complete conveyer systems must be provided to carry the material from the point of initial loading to the point of final deposit. It is to such a curve station structure that the present invention is directed, but the invention also includes such features of the buckets and parts carried thereby as co-act with the structures tion.

Y, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-I-IALF 'IO JOHN A.

Patented Oct. 11, 1910.

present at the curve sta- In the general system referred to there are provided two aerial cable stituting the outgoing track tracks, one confor the loaded buckets and the other constituting the return track for the empty buckets.

two tracks are spaced apart ample clearance in opposite directions and These sufiiciently for of the buckets when moving therefore the buckets on traversing the curve must, in

about the outer moving in the must take the inner edge of track or direction of travel buckets taking the inner the curve depending upon the direction of the curve whether right or left.

The general structure of the curve will however be the same except that the parts are reversed 111 accordance with the direction of the curve. The

however be best understood invention will from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings,

Figure l is a diagrammatic representation of in accordance with the pre Fig. 2 is a plan view of the showing the same on a system embodying a curve constructed sent invention. curve structure a larger scale than in Fig. l and also revealing the general structure of the curve. Fig. 3 is one end of the curve shown in Fig. 2. of the structure a section on the shown in Fi line A-B of Fig. 3.

a plan view of on a larger scale than Fig. at is a side elevation 3. Fig. 5 is F1 a u a O G is a detail view of one of the buckets. Fig. 7 is a detail view of a grip used in connection with the buckets.

Referring to the drawings,

there is shown in Fig. 1 a diagrammatic representation of a loading station 1, an unloadi station 2 and a curve 3, it that the conditions are such t 1 and 2 cannot be placed in with the other or that for sti it is desirable to place these such direct line. stations 1 and 2 are shown as one to the other, but it will that this is simply ng or dumping being assumed hat the stations direct line one 'uctural reasons stations out of In the drawings the two at right angles be understood illustrative and that the stations may be placed at any angle one to the other that may be found convenient, de-

" ward more sharply toward the platform 8 sirable, or necessary. Extending between the station 1 and the curve station 3 are cable tracks et5 and extending between the curve 3 and the station 2 are cable tracks 6-7. These tracks are commonly made of steel cables of appropriate size and when the distance permits, may extend to the terminal stations each by one span, but for longer distances it is usually desirable or necessary to employ intermediate supports, which latter, however, are not shown in the drawings. \Vhile it is entirely immaterial for the purposes of this invention which of the cable tracks be considered the outgoing or load track and which be considered the return track for the empty buckets, for convenience of description the tracks 1 and (3 will be considered the outgoing or load tracks and the tracks 5 and 7 will be considered the return tracks for the buckets.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2, 3, 1 and 5 where the curve structure is shown in detail, there is provided at each end of the curve a platform 8 mounted on a suitable trestle 9, this platform and trestle being taken as typical of any suitable support for the structures at each end of the curve. Usually these structures are made of structural steel, or if conditions warrant they may be made of masonry, or may even be the floors of suitable buildings. The two ends of the curve structure are alike and consequently the showing of Figs. 2, 3 and 4 may apply to either end of the curve. It

will, however, for convenlence of description, be considered as the end of the curve connected to the loading station 1. At the end of the platform 8 remote from the curve there is erected a supporting structure 10 of about the width of the platform 8 and of sufiicient length in the direction of the width of the platform to support at its ends two saddles 11 receiving the cables & and 5 respectively. Erected on the platform 8 but nearer to the curved portion of the structure than is the support 10 is another support 12 of less height than the support 10 and carrying at points less distant from the center line of the platform than are the saddles 11, other saddles 13. Between the saddles 11 and 13 the cable tracks at and 5 approach one toward the other and also are directed downward to reach the saddles 13 on which these cables rest and are then directed downand ultimately connect to anchorages 14 of suitable construction made fast to the platform and its support at the end connected to the curve 3, the platforms 8 constituting approaches for the curve. 'While the anchorage connections 14 are shown in the form of open sockets, eye bolts and turn buckles, it will be understood that any other suitable arrangement may be provided. The cables & and 5 and also the cables 6 and 7 serve as cable tracks only between the stations and cease to serve as tracks as they are carried to the anchorages. The supports are shown as connected together by angle strips 15, but it will be understood that suitable bracing will be employed wherever necessary to meet the conditions present. The saddles 11 are formed with side extensions directed toward the center line of the platform 8 and in these side extensions are journaled sheaves 16 each of which is nearer the center line of the platform 8 than is either track .t or 5. These sheaves serve to support the runs of an endless power cable 17 employed in the general tramway system and extending from the station 1 which constitutes not only the loading station but may also constitute the driving station for the power cable, to and through the curve 3, thence to the dumping station 2, all in operative relation to the load-carrying track of the system, and then returning in operative relation to the other track of the system again to the loading and power station. It will be understood, however, that the unloading station, may, if desired or necessary constitute the power station.

The curve 3 is shown as but is not necessarily a single span truss structure reaching from one platform 8 to the other, and in the particular construction shown in the drawings this curve is a 90 curve, but it will be understood that the curvature may be greater or less than 90 as may be found expedient under the conditions present in any particular installation.

It will be understood of course that the particular truss structure illustrated in the drawings need not be adhered to, since under some conditions it will be found necessary to modify such structure in accordance with the load to be carried and the conditions to be met.

Considered generally, the truss curve is formed with two longitudinal channels 18 unobstructed by any braces and these channels are located on opposite sides of a central truss structure made up of upright frames 19 connected at the bottoms by longitudinal curved beams 20. The frames 19 have their top and bottom members 21 and 22 extended above and below the channels 18 and at the outer ends connected by uprights 23, and longitudinal curved beams 241 and 25, suitable cross braces 25 being provided between the uprights 23 and the curved longitudinal beams 24 and 25, wherever needed for imparting strength and rigidity to the structure. The frames 19 also carry cross beams 26 parallel with but be low the beams 21 and the frames 19 together with their beams 21, 22 and 26 are disposed radially with reference to the point about which the curve is struck. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, suitable cross braces 27 extend between the longitudinal top curved beams 24 and also secured to the radial beams 21, may be employed to further impart rigidity and strength to the curve truss. The support 12 is connected to the first one of the frames 19 at the end of the curve by angle beams 28 connected to the cross beam 26 of the said first frame 19. At a point between the support 12 and the beginning of the curve there is erected another support 29 also connected to the beams 28, and in large structures more of such supports may be used as found expedient or necessary. It will be observed that the beams 21 are made up of two members spaced apart in the direction of the length of the curve these two members being preferably of angle steel.

Considering the outer portion of the curve 3, it will be observed that at a point above the cross beam 26 between the frame 19 and the outer ends of said cross beam, the beam 21 has secured thereto a spindle 31, there being usually a spindle 31 for each cross beam 21. This spindle may extend through a block 32 at an appropriate point between the two members of the beam 21 and at a lower point the spindle 31 is passed through another block 33 secured to an inclined brace 34 fast at one end to the corresponding uprights of the frame 19 and atthe other end to a block or plate 35 extending between the two members of the beam 21 and secured thereto. The spindle 31 is set at an angle to the vertical so that its lower end is more remote from the frame 19 than the upper end. The lower end of the spindle termi nates before reaching the cross beam 26 and there carries an angle sheave 36, the sheave being free to rotate about the spindle. On the inside of the curve the same structures are present and are designated by the same reference numerals except that the angle braces 34 extend to the corresponding side posts 23 and from there incline upwardly until connected to the cross beam 21. lVhile on the outer portionof the curve the sheaves 36 are located between the frame 19 and the outer ends of the cross beams 26 the sheaves on the inner bend of the curve are located between the uprights or posts 23 and the outer ends of the cross beams 26.

Supported on the outer ends of the cross beams 26 are tracks 3738 respectively.

Overlying the cable track 4 as it enters the saddle 11 is a track section 39 which is thinned out at the end immediately adjacent to the cable 4 so that its upper edge at this point is substantially-on a level with the upper edge of the said cable 4 which on entering the saddle 11 curves downwardly toward the corresponding saddle 13. The track section 39 from its point ofcoincidence with the cable track4 slants downwardly but in line with the cable track 4 exterior to the saddle 11 until it reaches a support 40 mounted on the outer ends of cross beams 41 carried by the support 12 and also serving to uphold the saddles 13. From this point the track section 39 continues its downward course to the support 29 to which it is secured, and from thence the track is bent upwardly until ultimately it joins the track 37 passing around the inner bend of the curve 3. For convenience of description the dip in the track section 39 is designated by the reference numeral 42.

The power cable 17 passes from the sheave 16 at the entrance side of the curve station in substantial parallelism with the center line of the platform 8 to the first of the sheaves 36 011 the inner bend of the curve 3 and thence from sheave to sheave around the inner bend of the curve to the other platform 8 at the remoter end of the curve and from thence over the sheave 16 at the outgoing end of the curve station and on to the dumping station from whence the power cable returns to the last-named platform 8 and passes over the sheave 16 there located on the opposite side from the sheave by which the power cable left the curve station, thence around the angle sheaves 36 on the outer bend of the curve and finally over the first-named platform 8 to the leaving sheave 16 adjacent to the point of exit of the cable track 5 from the curve station. The two runs of the power cable 17 are in substantially parallel relation throughout the system wherever the power cable is active. It will be observed that the cable tracks 4 and 5 and also the cable tracks 6 and 7 are in substantially parallel relation with the power cable 17 where the latter is active but these cable tracks are at a lower level and more distant from a medium line than are the runs of the power cable so that the latter is not only above the cable tracks but inside the same with relation to the median line common to the cable tracks and to the power cable.

Merging into the cable track 5 at the point where the latter passes over the corresponding saddle 11 there is a track section 43 at the corresponding end of the curve station, but this track section retains the same relation of parallelism with the power cable 17 on the corresponding side of the platform 8 as does the cable track 5 and the power cable exterior to the curve station. The track section 43 is mounted on the supports 10, 12 and 29 and finally merges into the track 38. However as the track section 43 approaches the point of merging with the track 38 it has an outward bend as indicated at 44 so that the track 38 is more distant from the power cable when passing around the other series of sheaves 36 than is the track section 43 from the power cable 17 as the latter passes over the corresponding sheave 16 on its return to the loading station. l

The blocks or plates 35 have secured to their lower ends angle strips 45 above the sheaves 36 and the power cable carried thereby and these strips have a downturned web 46 overhanging the track 37 or 38 as the case may be but on the sheave side of the vertical plane of the said track.

For use in connection with the conveyer system there are provided dumping buckets 47, but the dumping side of which and the mechanism employed in connection therewith need not be considered herein since it forms no part of the present invention. Each bucket 47 is pendently supported by a bail 4S hung from a carriage 49 in which latter are mounted two tandem wheels 50 peripherally grooved to conform to the tracks 37 and 38 and their approaches and to the cable tracks. The grooves in the wheels are sufiiciently deep to hold the buckets to the track under the conditions of service, and in connection with the curved structure forming the subject matter of the present invention the bucket carrier or carriage is maintained on the track by the power cable 17 to which the bucket is, during its progress through the curve structure, coupled by a suitable grip 51, the detail structure of which need not be described herein since it is fully shown and described in another application, and aside from one feature of the grip, its structure does not enter into the present invention. The grip 51 is mounted at a point about midway of its length upon trunnions 52 having bearings in the carriage 49 so that the grip is capable of turning upon the trunnions on an axis longitudinal to said carriage. The carriage is provided about midway of its length with a recess in which the grip is partially housed and the wheels 50 are sufficiently spaced so that the grip is capable of turning on its trunnions through said recess. The mounting of the grip is such that its active end where it grasps the cable 17 extends laterally from the carriage 49. hile the buckets 47 are in the stations 1 and 2 or traversing the cable tracks 4, 5, 6 or 7 the jaw end of the grip is toward the common median line of the tracks and power cable. This is due to the fact that the normal relation of the power cable to the supporting tracks for the buckets is interior to these tracks, that is, it is located nearer the common median line than are the tracks.

Let it be assumed now that a bucket has received a load at the loading station and is carried along the cable track 4 until ultimately it reaches the track section 39. The grip may be provided with stop members or lugs 53 which prevents the gripping end of the grip, when pointed inward, from moving downward to too great an extent and consequently when the bucket reaches the point of coincidence between the track 4 and the track section 39 the gripping end of the grip will be sufficiently elevated above the tracks to clear the sheave 16 over which the power cable 17 passes. Immediately beyond this point the slight downward inclination of the track section 39 will permit the cable 17 to drop into the groove of the sheave 16. Now, however, the bucket reaches the dip portion 42 ofthe track 39 and the bucket falls correspondingly. This will cause the grip to turn on its trunnions on an axis parallel with the line of travel and this fall of the bucket would tend to drag-the power cable 17 downward or because of the taut condition of the cable would tend to lift the bucket from the track section 39, but this dip portion 42 is bent inward so as to cross the vertical plane of the cable 17, which it does at the lowest point of the dip 42, while the parts are so proportioned that there is no tendency to either depress the cable 17 or to lift the bucket. The said bucket traverses the vertical plane of the power cable 17 until its center line determined by the supporting wheels 50 is inside the vertical plane of the cable 17 and now the track section rises toward the track 37 causing the grip to make a complete reversal of position so that its gripping end is away from instead of to ward the common median line of the track. This permits the grip to conform to the position of the power cable along the inner bend of the track, the power cable at this point being more remote from the median line of the tracks than is the track 37, and the sheaves 36 on the inner bend ofthe curve being likewise outside the track 37 or closer to the point about which the curvature of the track is described.

Mounted on the carriage 49 of each bucket 47 there are two spaced wheels 54 turning on vertical axes and these wheels operate as guide wheels, being so located as to engage the downturned flange or web 46 of the cor- 110 responding angle strip 45.

Both tracks 37 and 38 are more distant from the corresponding runs of the power cable 17 than are the other tracks in the system where the power cable is active and con- 115 sequently the runs of the cable will tend to tip the buckets about an axis longitudinal to the tracks. This tendency is however resisted by the engagement of the guide rollers 54 with the guide strips 45 and conse- 120 quently the power cable is pulled away from the sheaves 36 as the buckets pass these sheaves so as to give ample clearance for the gripping end of the grips and the latter are therefore not brought into engagement with 125 these sheaves as the buckets pass about the curve, this being true whether the buckets are traversing the inner bend of the curve or the outer bend thereof.

lVhen a bucket has traversed a curve on 130 its passage to the dumping station it passes over a track section 39 the counterpart of that over which it passed on entering the curve. Considering the direction of travel the bucket again drops because of the dip 42 but traverses the vertical plane of the power cable 17 in an outward direction so that the grip is returned about its axis of rotation until the gripping jaws again point toward the median line common to the tracks and power cable. The bucket now passes on to the dumping station and through the same being there caused to discharge its contents and again assume a receptive condition and then passes from the dumping station on its return travel to the curve 3, this time, however, entering the curve on the outer bend of the latter. The track 43 at the entering end of the return side of the curve bein without dip or bend and parallel with the corresponding run of the cable 17, the grip maintains its normal position with relation to the bucket until the bend 44 is reached and then by the action of the track bend 44 and the track 38 the bucket is carried a short distance away from the normal run of the power cable about corresponding sheaves 86 because of the engagement of the guide rollers with the guide strips 45so that the power cable is pulled sufliciently away from the guide rollers as the bucket passes the latter to cause the gripping jaws to clear these guide rollers. After passing the curve the bucket is again brought into proper relation to the track section 43 and the outgoing end of the return side of the curve by the curved portion 44 of the track section 43 and the bucket finally enters upon the cable track 5 and ultimately reaches the loading station to there receive a load and repeat its travels to the dumping station, traversii'ig the curve in the manner already described.

If the loading and dumping stations be related as before described but the latter be to the left of the out-going line of the load ing station instead of to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, then the track section 3 will be curved in the reverse direction to that shown in the drawings. Under these last-named conditions the load side of the system takes the outer bend of the curve and the return side of the system takes the inner bend of the curve. Therefore on the outgoing runs of the power cable and buckets carried thereby there is no reversal of the grip but this occurs on the return run of the cable when the buckets traverse the curve.

IVhile the curve 3 has been described as a single span truss, it will be understood that trestle, or masonry, or any form of support may be provided for the active curve structure whereby the line of travel of the buck ets and the power cable is diverted from a straight line in any manner and to any extent.

It is to be understood that in this conveyer system the buckets are never reversed but move along the track always in the same direction, provision being made for the turning around of the buckets at the ternnnal stations so that one end of the bucket carriage always remains the forward end thereof irrespective of whether the bucket is traveling from the loading station to the unloading station or from the latter back again to the loading station.

The anchorages for the track cables are shown as so constructed that in the event of stretching of the track cable, the excessive slack may be taken up from time to time. It is evident, however, that the anchorages may be in the form of tension devices of the constantly active type.

hat is claimed is 1. In a tramway system, separated loading and unloading stations and separate outgoing and incoming tracks connecting the same, a power cable having a predetermined relation to the said tracks, buckets adapted to the tracks and provided with grips for connecting the buckets to the power cable, and a curve structure between the stations and interposed in the tracks, said curve structure being traversed by the tracks and by both the outgoing and return runs of the power gable and the latter changing its relation to the tracks on the inner bend of the curve, the grips being mounted on the buckets so as to conform to the changed relations of the track and power cable at the inner bend of the curve.

2. In a tramway system, separated loading and unloading stations, outgoing and incoming cable tracks for each station, a curve station, anchorages at said curve station for the ends of the cable tracks remote from the loading and unloading stations, tracks through the curve station connecting the re spective cable tracks, a power cable extending from the loading station to the unloading station and back again and having both runs traversing the curve station in the same relation to the cable tracks but in reverse relation to one of the tracks in the curve station, and buckets each provided with a. grip for connecting the buckets to the power cable, said grip being mounted on the bucket to conform to the changed relation of the power cable and track traversing the curve station.

3. In a tramway system, a curve station having approaches, a curve connecting said approaches, tracks at the outer and inner bends of the curve, the inner t 210k and each approach dipping and bending toward the center line of the approach, and a power cable having runs adjacent to each track, the

' provided vertical plane of said power cable intersecting and traversing the dipping portion of the inner track.

4:. In a tramway system, a curve statlon having approaches, a curve connecting said approaches, tracks at the outer and inner bends of the curve, the inner track at each approach dipping and bending toward the center line of the approach, a power cable having runs adjacent to each track, the vertical plane of said power cable lntersectlng and traversing the bent dipping portion of the inner track, and buckets adapted to said tracks and provided with grips tor coupling the buckets to the power cable, the said grips being pivotally mounted to turn on axes parallel with the line of travel of the buckets.

5. In a tramway system, a curve provided with an outer and an inner curved series of guide sheaves, curved tracks adjacent but toward the outer bend of the curve with relation to the respective series of sheaves, an approach track at each end of the curve connecting with the outer track, and another approach track at each end of the curve having a dip and a bend toward the center line of the curve structure and connected to the inner track.

6. In a tramway system, a curve structure with outer and inner curved series of guide sheaves, curved tracks adjacent but toward the outer bend of the curve with relation to the respective series of sheaves, an approach track at each end of the curve structure connecting with the outer track and adjacent to the point of connection bending away from the center line of the curve structure, and another approach track at each end of the curve structure having a dip and a bend toward the center line of the said curve structure and connected to the innertrack.

7. In a tramway system, outgoing and return tracks, a power cable having outgoing and return runs in operative relation to the respective tracks, a curve structure interposed in the tracks and traversed by both the outgoing and return runs of the power cable, one run of the power cable crossing the respective track at each end of the corresponding side of the curve, and a bucket adapted to the tracks and provided with a reversible grip adapted to the power cable.

8. In a tramway system, outgoing and return tracks, a power cable having outgoing and return runs each movable above and to one side of the vertical plane of the respective track, a curve interposed in the tracks, and tracks therethrough below and one at one side and the other at the other side of the respective runs of the power cable, and track connections between the first named tracks and the tracks traversing the curve, one of said connecting tracks crossing the vertical plane of the respective run of the cable.

9. In a tramway system, outgoing and return tracks, a power cable having outgoing and return runs each movable above and to one side of the vertical plane of the respective track, a curve interposed in the tracks and having tracks therethrough below and one at one side and the other at the other side of the respective runs of the power cable, and track connections between the first named tracks and the tracks traversing the curve, one of said connecting tracks crossing the vertical plane of the respective run of the cable and depressed or dipping where crossing the power cable.

10. In a tramway system, a curve structure provided with a curved series of sheaves, a curved track below and to one side of the sheaves, a guide strip above the sheaves, a power cable adapted to travel along the series of sheaves, a bucket, a carriage from which the bucket depends and having wheels adapted to the track and guide rollers for engaging the guide strip, and a grip on the bucket carriage adapted to grasp the power cable.

11. In a tramway system, a curve structure provided with a curved series of sheaves, a curved track below and to one side of the sheaves, a guide strip power cable adapted to travel along the series of sheaves, a bucket, a carriage from which the bucket depends and having wheels adapted to the track and guide rollers for engaging the guide strip, and a grip on the bucket carriage adapted to grasp the power cable, said grip being mounted to turn about an axis extending in the same direction as the line of travel of the bucket.

12. In a tramway system, a curve structure having outgoing and return tracks there through, a power cable having oppositely directed runs above and in the same relative position to the respective tracks, a bucket adapted to the tracks and having at all times the same relation to the tracks, and a reversible grip for the bucket adapted to grasp the power cable.

13. In a tramway system, a curve structure comprising a truss formed of radial frames, longitudinally curved connecting members, independent tracks on opposite sides of but interior to the curve structure, a series of angle sheaves above each track and on the same relative side of the respective tracks, and guide strips above the sheaves.

14:. In a tramway system, a curve structure comprising a truss formed of radial frames, longitudinally curved connecting members, independent elevated tracks on opposite sides of but interior to the curve structure, a series of angle sheaves above each track and on the same relative side of the respecabove the sheaves, a

tive tracks, and sheave.

15. In a tramway system, a curve structure comprising a truss formed of radial frames, longitudinally curved connecting members, tracks on opposite sides of but interior to the curve structure, a series of angle sheaves above each track and on the same relative side of the respective tracks, guide strips above the sheaves, and like approaches for each end of the curve structure, said approaches each being provided with tracks connecting with the respective tracks in the curve structure, the approach track leading to the inner bend of the curve structure curving toward the center line of the approach.

16. In a tramway system, a curve structure comprising a truss formed of radial frames, longitudinally curved connecting members, tracks on opposite sides of but interior to the curve structure, a series of angle sheaves above each track and on the same relative side of the respective tracks, guide strips above the sheaves, and like approaches for each end of the curve structure, said approaches each being provided with tracks connecting with the respective tracks in the curve structure, the approach track leading to the inner bend of the curve structure bending toward the center line of the approach and at the bending portion also dipping, and the approach track leading to the outer bend of the curve structure diverging from the center line of the approach.

17. In a tramway system, a curve strucguide strips above the l vI l l a I ture comprising a truss formed of radial frames, longitudinally curved connecting members, tracks on opposite sides of but interior to the curve structure, a series of angle sheaves above each track and on the same relative side of the respective tracks, guide strips above the sheaves, and like approaches for each end of the curve structure, said approaches each being provided with tracks connecting with the respective tracks in the curve structure, the approach track leading to the inner bend of the curve structure bending toward the center line of the approach and at the bent portion also dipping, and the approach track leading to the outer bend of the curve structure diverging from the center line of the approach, a power cable traversing the curve and approaches and having oppositely directed runs engag ing the respective series of sheaves, and buckets each having a supporting carriage from which it depends, the carriage being adapted to the tracks and provided with guide rollers adapted to the guide strips, said bucket carriages each being provided with a reversible grip for grasping the power cable.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SEBERN A. COONEY.

Witnesses:

E. E. DOYLE, F. T. CHAPMAN. 

